Broken

Nobody Said It'd Be Simple

Nobody Said It'd Be Simple

Nobody said it'd be simple
And I'm a whole lot of work

Warning: Panic Attack

Sundays were bookstore-and-coffee days in the Shirogane household. Keith had learned this on his third day with the family when he'd been woken up at seven-thirty in the morning (to early in his opinion, but who was he to argue). Shiro waited patiently for everyone to get ready, nudging Corey along at times when she got distracted.

Keith, used to getting ready quickly to escape scolding or punishment, was the first one completely ready to go. Not long after, the four climbed into Adam's car and drove to a small coffee shop.

The place wasn't big by any standards, but it was the warmest place Keith had ever been in. The yellows and oranges that graced the walls were just muted enough not to be overpowering, yet still bright enough to warm up someone's day even if the weather was chilly. A wooden sign on the wall proclaimed the shop as Garrett Coffee and Books, and the smell of pastries and fresh bread filled the entire area.

The boy at the counter seemed friendly enough. He was heavyset, wearing earthy tones and a wide orange ribbon across his forehead to keep back his hair. Shiro, Adam, and Corey seemed to know him, judging by the way they struck up conversation immediately. Keith remained silent.

Noticing his discomfort, the boy at the counter gave him the warmest, friendliest smile Keith had ever seen. 

"Hey, you must be Keith," he greeted, coming around the counter to greet him. "I'm Hunk." He then offered a hand. Keith shook it mutely, his own hand practically being swallowed by the other boy's.

"You can go look at the books if you'd like," Hunk offered. "We don't have anything against people just coming in to read." Keith glanced at Shiro and Adam, unsure if they would allow him. Didn't they want him in his sight? Surely they'd seen his history of trouble.

"You can go," Shiro said. "We usually spend a while in here anyway." Keith, though surprised, immediately slipped away, quickly losing himself in the maze of shelves. 

Once hidden in the books, time quickly lost meaning. No one ever expected the moody, troublemaking kid to be a reader, but here Keith was, completely enthralled in the huge selection of books. Once caught his eye, the simple colours of the cover drawing him in.

The Mysterious Benedict Society, read the title. Keith gave the slightest smile. He'd read the book in middle school, loved it, and even stolen a copy from the school's library. He glanced at the book beside it. The Prisoners' Dilemma and The Perilous Journey stood beside it, continuations of the book he'd loved years ago.

He sat on the floor, back against the shelf, and flipped open The Prisoners' Dilemma to its first page, dark eyes darting across the lines underneath his bangs.

He'd made it to the second chapter when a hand clapped down on his shoulder. Keith startled, tensing and drawing his knees in, eyes widening ever so slightly. Then, blue-grey met brown and the tension left, seemingly no match for Hunk's sunshine-y persona.

"Oh, man, did I scare you?" Hunk asked, slight worry slipping into his tone. "Sorry, I didn't mean to." Keith shook his head.

"You're fine," he muttered. "Something you need?" Hunk seemed to spring back into action, face lighting up once more.

"Oh, yeah!" he recalled, grinning. "We're trying out a new pastry. Do you like cherry stuff?" Keith's gaze shifted to the small cake in Hunk's hand.

"Yeah," giving an offhand shrug. Hunk held the pastry out to him.

"Tell me what you think," he grinned.